White House health policy official Chris Jennings resigned his post effective immediately, “due to a recent health scare and other serious family considerations,” a White House aide said Thursday. He had joined the White House just six months ago.

Mr. Jennings, a Clinton administration veteran who had been running his own health-policy consulting business, was tapped by the Obama administration in the summer to help with the rollout of the federal health law. He joined a team that had been headed by Jeanne Lambrew, a former public affairs and health policy professor.

White House officials were badly stung by the problem-plagued launch of the online insurance exchanges in October, which triggered a series of other 11th-hour policy changes in the ensuing weeks. Mr. Jennings, however, came in for less criticism than his colleagues because of his late addition to the team.

A White House aide confirmed the departure, reported earlier by Reuters and the Washington Post. The aide said the president would still have a “robust health care team” in Ms. Lambrew as well as Phil Schiliro, the former legislative affairs director who rejoined the White House in January.

Mr. Jennings said in a statement released by the White House that it had been “been an honor to help ensure that the promise of affordable, quality health care embodied in this historic law becomes the reality for all Americans. This is the cause of my professional life and I look forward to making continued contributions to that end.”

White House chief of staff Denis McDonough also issued a statement. “Chris served the country at a time when he was needed most. He will be deeply missed but we all wish him the best and know that he will continue to be a key player in health care and always a champion for quality affordable health care for all Americans.”

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